Cableplant Responsibilities

Michael A. Crowley
October 6, 1997

The cableplant of Mount Holyoke College includes a large number of components.

Fiber optic

Electrical

Video

Data

HVAC

Telephone

Alarm systems: intrusion, fire, door

Mechanical components

Manholes

Conduits

Wire raceways

Wall jacks

Wall outlets

Racks

Shelving for wire closets

Fiber termination boxes

Locks

Alarms

These elements are contained in:

Interbuilding runs

Wiring closets, multipurpose

Wiring closets, data only

Telephone terminals

Wiring cabinets

Within-building runs

Data and phone jacks on walls and other surfaces in buildings

Those responsible for these include:

Carpenters

Locksmith

HVAC

Electricians

Telephone office

Electronic Services

Networking

Public Safety

For the most part, it is clear who is responsible for what component,
but there are items for which the responsibility is unclear and there
are other items for which the responsibility needs to "porous", i.e.,
where there is not definitive responsibility but where the responsibility
needs to be determined on a case by case basis.

Unambiguous areas

Interbuilding runs

Russ Boudreau is the individual responsible for the underground
conduit and cable system. While others may have significant
parts to play, such as the electricians or the telephone office,
Russ needs to know about anything having to do with the underground system.

Wiring closets, multipurpose

Susan Perry has suggested that Bill Farrington be the one responsible for
the wiring closets that contain multiple kinds of equipment: voice, data,
video, etc. Any changes to a closet layout by those whose materials
are contained in such closets should go though Bill. This includes
networking and the telephone office.

Wiring closets, data only; wiring cabinets

There are a number of closets in which there is only data equipment.
Networking will deal with these.

Telephone terminals

Telephone terminals are scattered throughout many buildings and are
best left to the telephone office.

Ambiguous areas

Within-building runs

Cabling within buildings consists of:

Electrical

Telephone

Data, wire and fiber

It is clear that the electricians should be responsible for electrical.
The ambiguity is in the data and telephone systems.

We need to differentiate the design of the system
from the installation of the system. Networking
has designed the data layout and, to some degree, the telephone
cable layout in the residential hall networking project.
The telephone office has for the most part designed the
telephone cable layout. There has been, and should continue
to be, close collaboration in this design between networking
and the telephone office.

Insofar as the installation goes,
the electricians have pulled all the data cable for the
academic and administrative buildings. This suggests that
the Electrical Department should remain responsible for the
cable in the walls.

In the past, the intrabuilding phone cable has been pulled by
the telephone technicians. With the merging of the data and
phone cable systems, it is not clear that this division
remains a good one. I think there needs to be more discussion
about how telephone and data cables are to be installed.

Data and phone jacks on walls and other surfaces in buildings

This is something that needs to be kept a bit porous. If the
dataport is ripped off the wall Buildings & Grounds needs
to become involved. If the problem is in the dataport itself,
a new connector might need to be installed and perhaps the wiring
might need reconnecting, then the job could be done by
networking, telephone, or electrical shop personnel. In all
cases, networking or telephone personnel should be informed
of the event.

Alarm systems

Fire
Traditionally done by the Electrical Department

Intrusion
Installation has been done by Electronic Services.
Design is a joint effort of Electronic Services and Public
Safety.

Door
Perhaps this should be the responsibility of Electronic
Services with design consultation with both Public
Safety and Buildings & Grounds.